On Monday, the Portland City Council will decide whether to create a new Permitting and Inspections Department with the objective of reducing wait times for building permits – and whether to pay for the changes by increasing the cost of the permits.

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce is also “very supportive of the overall plans,” said Chief Executive Officer Chris Hall.But, he added, he hoped to see the fee structure adjusted before the council votes.“We all want more housing development, and obviously when you’re adding costs to large-scale developments, you want to make sure you don’t tip the balance too far,” he said. “You want to attract investment.”